Watch City Workers, Residents, Pols Say Goodbye to Chief Lamkin

A reception was held Friday afternoon, Dec. 20, 2013, for exiting Police Chief Jim Lamkin. The reception was held in the City Council Chambers in the St. Charles Municipal Center. | Credit: Ted Schnell


Ceremony held Friday afternoon in the St. Charles Municipal Center.
Jim Lamkin, wearing his dress uniform, stood straight and quietly as person after person stood up before the crowd gathered in the St. Charles City Council Chambers to say goodbye to their police chief of 10 years.

Each tribute seemed to echo the one preceding it — repeating such words as honesty, integrity, professional, leader, kind — to describe the character Lamkin exuded during his tenure in St. Charles. One other phrase was repeated several times. “St. Charles’s loss is Schaumburg’s gain.”

Scores of people gathered for the reception as residents, police officers from around the region, friends, city officials and other dignitaries came to wish Lamkin the best. He is retiring from the St. Charles department, but Lamkin is headed on to new challenges as the chief of the Schaumburg Police Department.

“If you know me at all, you know I am not like this,” he said, referring to being at the center of attention during the tribute.

His words as he spoke to the crowd reinforced that. Several times, as he was praised, Lamkin responded that his own successes were directly connected to the hard work of those around him.

And, while making it clear he is proud of the folks he has worked with at the St. Charles Police Department, he also made it clear that his respect extends to all the city’s workers.

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